welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. two u.s. war planes have flown through china's new air defense identification zone without warning chinese authorities. thai security forces are looking to arrest an opposition leader as the political confrontation rages on. and japanese lovers of astronomy are getting ready for

the space show as comet isod approaches the sun. u.s. commanders have defied their counterparts in china. over the weekend, chinese leaders said they were establishing an air defense identification zone over the east china sea. u.s. defense officials promised they would challenge the zone and now they've revealed two u.s. bombers flew through the area without informing chinese authorities. pentagon spokesperson colonel steve warren said the planes took off on tuesday from the u.s. pacific territory of guam, then entered the zone. they are reported to be b-52 bombers. warren said the planes were not armed, and he said the flights were part of a planned exercise. he said the u.s. aircraft were neither observed, nor contacted by chinese planes. chinese authorities say aircraft entering the air space must notify them of flight plans and obey instructions. they've warned they'll take what they call emergency defensive

measures if their instructions are not followed. u.s. commanders say they have no intention of complying with the demands. they insist international rules allow them to fly freely through international air space. japanese defense minister says the united states has reacted to china's announcement by flying their military planes on the same routes as always and self defense aircraft also will not alter their flight activities over that part of the east china sea. >> translator: china's defl declared air defense identification zone is unilateral, as not only japan, but the u.s., south korea, and taiwan are strongly against it, we demand china restrakt it as soon as possible. our position is we will never recognize such a move, and i believe the u.s. takes the same stance. >> onodera also said it is completely unnecessary for the government to submit flight

plans for its jsdf aircraft to china. the ambassador to japan has criticized china by setting up the zone in the east china sea, including air space over the senkaku islands, which are claimed by japan, china, and taiwan. >> unilateral action by china with the announcement of the air defense identification zone undermines security and constitutes an attempt to change the status quo in the east china sea. this only serves to increase tensions in the region. >> she added that japan has shown great restraint. she encouraged officials to remain patient and try to solve issues through dialogue. south korean leaders have also expressed concern about the zone because it overlaps their own. analysts say worries about china may be prompting them to try to smooth things over with japan. a territorial dispute and

disagreements over history have driven a wedge between the neighbors. the south korean foreign minister says the japanese perception of what happened in the past is behind the soured relations. >> translator: we will make efforts for stable relations with japan. we are aware that the japanese government has been considerate about the matter. >> south korean leaders have so far urged the japanese to face up to history in a responsible way. the korean peninsula was under japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. lawmakers in thailand are debating a motion as large antigovernment protests continue in the capital. the latest from bangkok. >> pressure is mounting on

yingluck shin watt on those demanding her resignation have been targeting key government ministries, and in parliament, opposition lawmakers have tabled a no confidence motion against her government. the current escalation started on monday when demonstrators began forcing their way into official buildings to try to paralyze the government. they continue to occupy the finance ministry. attention is turning to former deputy prime minister, a leader of the current protest. a warrant for his arrest was issued on tuesday on charges including trespassing on government property. the arrests of such a high profile figure would likely deepen the sense of crisis. >> translator: we will definitely win. they can't even think of a way to beat thep. >> in parliament, the opposition

is trying to rattle the government. the lower house began deliberating a no confidence motion against yingluck on tuesday. the opposition claims she's a puppet of her brother, former prime minister, thaksin shing watt. he lives in self imposed exile. the tension was triggered by yingluck trying to pass a controversial amnesty bill, allowing thaksin to return to thyland. the gap between thyland's middle class is largely opposed and supportive of the protests, while most rural voters are loyal to thaksin and his sister, the prime minister. these deep social divisions won't be easy to mend. so far, the demonstrations have been peaceful. protest leaders have spoken out

against violence. they have instructed people occupying government property not to steal even a single pen. some in the crowd even brought along their children. a potential turning point in the crisis is approaching next week. the birthday ceremony of the king is scheduled for december 5th. the protesters are deeply loyal to the king and some observers predict the celebration may cause the current demonstrations to come to an end. we'll have more updates later on, but for now, back to you in tokyo. japan's nuclear regulators have approved a new set of safety guidelines for nuclear facilities other than power plants. the rules cover 247 sites

nationwide, including nuclear reprocessing plants and nuclear research facilities. members of the nuclear regulation authority endorsed the guidelines in a meeting. the new rules take effect on december 18th. they were compiled following the 2011 meltdowns at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. the new rules require facility operators to take stricter measures against earthquakes and tsunami. also improve safety measures to prevent hydrogen explosions and uncontrolled nuclear chain reactions during emergencies. the nra is currently studying the safety of seven idle nuclear plants that have applied to resume operations. workers at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant have started their most dangerous task so far. they are moving used fuel, which emits high levels of radiation. they already started transferring unused fuel out of a reactor building, but that's easier to handle.

on today's nuclear watch, we find how they are doing and the challenges that lie ahead. this is the inside of the building housing reactor number 4. more than 1,500 fuel rod assemblies have been sitting in the cooling pool since the disaster in march 2011. now workers are transferring them to safer places. they've moved 22 assemblies of unspent fuel to a separate facility. officials with tokyo electric power company say the job went smoothly, so they decided to start removing rods containing spent fuel. the high levels of radioactivity added to the difficulty of moving them. . >> translator: dealing with spent fuel rods is no different from dealing with unused ones. workers will do the same task as before, taking into account the high radiation level.

>> nhk world has more on the operation and the risks involved. >> at first, the process was slow. that's because the workers had to carefully conduct the operation using an underwater camera when they were removing the fuel and placing it in the container. but the more times they repeated the procedure, the more they got used to it, and the pace picked up. now, work is basically proceeding as scheduled. two containers are being used for the operation. while one container moves rods to the storage facility, the other is on standby ready to remove the next batch. using two containers makes the whole operation more efficient.

tepco said that if an earthquake or some other event were to cause a container to fall, it would be ready to act appropriately. the crane is 30 meters above ground level. a fall from the height could disturb the lid or even damage the fuel inside the container. that could cause radioactive water or other substances to leak. if such an accident were to occur, workers would be temporarily evacuated. after that, the damage would be assessed using surveillance cameras and radiation monitors installed within the reactor building. other items will be stacked around the container to shield the workers and the environment from the effects of radiation.

still, tepco says the chances of a container falling are basically nonexistent. it says that because the crane is equipped in such a way as to prevent a drop, the wires holding the containers are doubled up so they will not fall, even if one wire breaks. and large springs have been attached to the platform part of the structure to keep the containers level in the event of an earthquake. one of the biggest challenges is securing experienced workers over the wrong one. even now, radioactive readings at the site were about 200 microsieverts per hour, a lot

higher than normal standards. the workers exposure levels are constantly being monitored and kept under control. no worker can be exposed to 50 or more millisieverts by year. things appear to be moving according to plan for now at the reactor number 4 building, but tepco may find previously unknown damage to the fuel or secondary could hamper the removal process. if dealing with such problems takes time, veteran workers could be exposed to too much radiation and procuring level could become difficult. >> once the workers finish with the reactor number 4 building, they'll move on to buildings 1 through 3, and the radioactivity measured in those areas is much

higher. the bank of japan is saying it's profitable. ron? >> we spent a lot of time talking about what the boj is doing for the economy, trying to get the nation out of deflation, but it's easy to overlook the other challenge of making sure they are profitable. it's been awhile since they have been. the bank of japan has logged a profit, though, for the first time in five years. the yen's decline helped to improve earnings. ordinary profit for the half year was about $5.9 billion. the yen has weakened as market players had high expectations for drastic monetary easing issues. the value of the foreign bond purchases and their holdings has been pushed up in yen turns. the boj's massive government bond buying program has raised its total assets to 26% in yen terms from the figure at the end of march. total assets are estimated to rise further to around $2.8

trillion to the end of march 2014 as a result of the ongoing monetary easing measures. let's get a check of the markets now. equity investors in europe are cheered on. this comes two months after chancellor angela merkel's election victory. frankfurt is looking like this in light of that. it's up by .2 of a percent, london also gaining .2 of a percent. similar gains for the paris market. asia pacific region got a boost from hopes for financial sector reforms. hong kong's index closed as a ten-month high. tokyo's nikkei lost .4 of a percent, though. shares in thailand got a lift from the central bank's decision to cut its key rate. investors thought the rate cut would support the country's lackluster growth. the set index jumped to 1,373. moving on to currencies now, the

euro is climbing against the yen after news about the german coalition right around 138.39. and that is a level we really haven't seen in more than four years. the dollar is moving higher against the yen. dollar/yen at 101.74 roughly. traders are waiting for the release of u.s. economic data. a japanese oil exploration firm will build a facility that ensures stable supplies of imported lng as regional demand has been soaring. japan petroleum exploration executives announced on wednesday that the new complex will sell lng imported from canada. the firm aims to start lng supplies mainly to the northeast in 2018 through an existing pipeline. the company is also considering

power generation using the lng from canada by teaming up with power utilities. it may take part of the plan bidding for plants that tokyo electric power company wants to build. japanese jeans giant edwin is taking creative steps to revive its flagging finances. bosses have filed to use an out of court legal recourse to meet with creditors. edwin officials have been talking with financial institutions on ways to turn around their business. the jeans maker posed losses of more than $540 million over the past five years. its debt exceeds assets to the tune of $95 million. lawyers selected by a third party can mediate between a debt-ridden company and its banks. edwin officials will also look for sponsors to support the firm's rehabilitations. they are assuring clients and consumers edwin will continue

business as usual. honda motor is building its second plant in brazil. the car makers' officials want to double production capacity in the country. honda officials attended a ground breaking city about 200 kilometers from sao paulo. they are spending about $430 million on the factory, it will be equipped to produce 120 compact cars a year. the new plant will boost the firm's local production capacity to 240,000 units. honda officials also plan to export vehicles to other south american countries. the new factory is scheduled to start operations in 2015. >> translator: brazil is a very attractive market for us with its vast landscape and large population. >> brazilian consumers bought 3.8 million new cars last year and this is encouraging automakers to establish in the

fourth largest market. all right, that's going to do it for biz tonight. i'll leave you with the markets. northern hemisphere stargazers next week could see the spectacular sight of comet isod as it brushes past the sun. lovers of astronomy in japan are getting ready for the show. nhk world reports. >> reporter: japanese astronaut snapped this recent image of

ison from the international space station. observers in russia and beirut first spotted the comet in september last year. ison would get closest to the sun on thursday, wizzing about 1.9 million kilometers. if it survives, it could draw a spectacular flaming trail through the sky. nhk crews have been traveling around japan for months to film the comet. comets are mostly made of frozen water and other substances. when they get closer to the sun's heat, they melt, releasing particles. the trail reflects the sun's light, making the comet appear brighter. photographers gather to shoot the comet over mt. fuji for an unforgettable shot. >> translator: i'm trying to capture the moment when the

comet sits on top of mt. fuji. >> reporter: photographers need special equipment to snap the comet when it's close to the sun. most people will wait for better shots when the comet is likely to be brightest next month. retailers are making the most of the opportunity to sell some goods. and this travel agent said a tour package to observe the comet from an airplane sold out in 15 minutes. >> translator: we got a better response than we had expected. >> reporter: a group of female enthusiasts held a meeting to study the comet. >> translator: i hope to forget about daily troubles by watching the comet. >> reporter: they went out to practice how to find the comet.

a long-time astronomy fan is also getting into the mood. he's a former school teacher. he is storing on his veranda a telescope that can automatically follow the comet. ozeki has spent $100,000 on observation over the years. >> translator: i hope it becomes a very bright comet with a long tail. >> reporter: experts at the national astronomical observatory in japan says the comet is highly likely to display its blazing tail next week. japanese enthusiasts have their eye on the sky. yamaguichi, nhk world. parts of the eastern u.s. are being hit by a storm ahead

of thanksgiving. rachel ferguson has more. rachel? >> hi, yes, looking very difficult for lots of people heading to see loved ones traveling through eastern portions of the u.s. at the moment. let's start with some video showing you the scene on the ground. this is in pittsburgh actually. a powerful storm is actually impacting millions of people across the u.s. today, just a few days prior to thanksgiving during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. snow plows have already begun to clear the streets in the northeast, yet high winds and whiteout conditions are making that job very challenging. the storm's already impacted residents as far west as california and now with an estimated 39 million travelers on the road wednesday, officials are asking those who don't need to be out to stay at home until the storm passes. now that sounds like pretty good advice, and you'll see what i mean when i pull back and show you what's going on here. here's the big storm. underneath that, you're going to see a variety of different things going on.

down towards the south is where the heaviest of the rain was on tuesday. now that's eased off a little bit and heavy rain has moved in towards new england. you can see flash flooding here. very dangerous stuff if you're out in the roads and to the north, equally as dangerous, freezing rain. you can't drive on ice, so expect to have a lot of tailbacks if you are intending to travel. the best thing to do is wait the storm out. the good news is the storm is moving, heading out towards the east over the atlantic and come thursday for your thanksgiving, you're actually going to be seeing some pretty sunny skies across much of the east, although temperatures will stay very low. let's take a look at some of those temperatures for wednesday. minus 1 in chicago, minus 10 in winnipeg, going up to 14 in new york city, but after that storm passes, we'll see temperatures down maybe to 2 or 3 degrees once again. 6 degrees in d.c. with snow in your forecast. out towards denver, though, 14 and sunny, and that's a definite

improvement. things are warming up and will continue to do so in the u.s. for the next couple of days. let's go now to australia, we have a storm here, another tropical cyclone in the gulf. now this one was impacting the northern tip of the northern territory earlier on in the week and has moved into the warmer waters of the gulf here and is moving southeast parallel with the coast, so we have the gail-force wind warnings in place, 70 kilometers per hour sustained winds and the rainfall, which could amount up to 80 millimeters, certainly enough to cause coastal flooding. let's go to europe, very split pattern here, in fact, we've got dry and clear conditions across much of the midsection of the continent. up towards the north, you can see how strong the wind is going to be towards western russia, and this is also going to be accompanied by snow. so when you have the wind and

the snow, it can really impair your visibility and make for slick traveling conditions, so potentially dangerous traveling up towards the north. as for the south, it's been stormy the last couple of weeks, in fact, but things are going to improve from thursday. we'll see these storms in the mediterranean starting to weaken off and even a gradual warming trend, although temperatures will tend to stay below average. here are your temperatures for wednesday, and i'll leave you with your extended forecast also. that's "newsline" for

hour. from all of us here at nhk

world, thanks for joining us. have a great day, wherever you are.